


Light Me Up

by BLehnsherr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drarry, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Harry needs to get his life together, M/M, Makeover, Oblivious Harry Potter, silly-turned-serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 13:39:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15558927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BLehnsherr/pseuds/BLehnsherr
Summary: Ginny Weasley is tired. She wants a family and children with Harry, but he has isolated himself from life and spends his days watching television.She knows he needs a serious change of perspective and that is why she signs him up for a makeover.What she doesn't know, is that Draco Malfoy is the guy she wrote to and having him working so closely to Harry is going to change everything.Inspired by Queer Eye.Drarry happy ending.





	Light Me Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So, this is my first attempt at writing a Drarry story and I don't know if I did good!!  
> I am more at ease writing Cherik fanfictions, but I decided to take a chance on this fandom because Drarry is the first couple I've ever shipped!  
> So let me know what you think of it? How did I do?
> 
> This story was originally supposed to be light and crack-ish, but it somehow turned out long and with a bit of plot. I hope it doesn't suck :D

_ Dear Fabulous Dragon, _

 

_ I need your help. My boyfriend’s been isolating himself for almost ten years now. He doesn’t like people coming over our place and he barely comes out. He grew an awful beard and only wears gym clothes all the time!  _

_ I am tired. We had big plans for the future, marriage, children, a home. Now he stays in the whole day and there’s no more romance. I don’t find him sexy anymore.  _

_ So I need your help. I need you to choose him for one of your magical makeovers and fix him. Make him handsome again, give him a transformation on the outside so he can change on the inside too. I’ve seen what you can do and people are talking about you, so I have hope that you can save us. _

_ If you choose to do it, there’s a tiny window of opportunity every wednesday afternoon. It’s the only time he leaves home to take his godson to a muggle playground. They stay there for around two hours and it’s where you can find him.  _

_ You may have noticed I haven’t said any names and I have a good reason for that. He’s famous and I can’t risk this letter falling into someone else’s hands or exposing him in case you don’t end up picking us. _

_ I’ve taken the liberty of sending a list of his features so you’ll know who he his. I beg you to come. The address is written at the bottom. _

 

_ Sincerely, _

_ A desperate girlfriend. _

 

Draco’s eyebrows arched higher and higher as he read the letter, his curiosity peaking. He checked the other paper that came along with it, quickly taking in the information about the boyfriend’s features and an extra note at the bottom, of how the woman would like their bedroom to be decorated as well, so it would be more attractive. 

 

Their relationship honestly sounded doomed to Draco, but he couldn’t deny he loved a challenge. It seemed like quite an interesting case, considering the boyfriend’s description wasn’t half bad and he was a celebrity. 

 

Draco had never worked with someone who was actually famous before, and doing it could launch his career even higher. No more giving old pureblood men makeovers, no more redecorating mansions’ rooms no one would ever see. It could be the big break he had been looking for, and he wasn’t one to pass up such opportunities.

 

The whole secrecy of it did unsettle him and he couldn’t think of one single celebrity with those features, no one looking like that, who had been on the tabloids for the past years. Of course the girlfriend said he had barely left his house for that time, but if so, how famous could he be?

 

In any case, it was the most curious letter he had received and he knew he couldn’t make a clear decision without knowing who that celebrity was. 

 

-

 

Draco’s life hadn’t been the easiest after the war had been over. His father had been sentenced to Azkaban, while his mother and him had gotten house arrest for three years. The only reason he hadn’t ended up in jail was because of Harry Potter. It had been shit, those three years, but he knew it could have been much worse. 

 

And how could he see that same man who had spoken up for him, clearly needing assistance, and not help him back? 

 

His first reaction upon seeing Harry Potter on that muggle playground was utter shock. He had been stuck to the place, mouth hanging open as he watched the other one play with a child.

 

There was no doubt he was Draco’s client. It made complete sense that even though he hadn’t been on the papers or magazines for so long, he was still goddamn famous, being the saviour of the wizarding world and all of that. 

 

He wasn’t exactly keen on working with the prat, but Draco owned him too much to refuse it, and if it all worked out, it would be nice to be the saviour for a change. A tiny voice on the back of his mind also told him it was a chance for forgiveness, a chance for even friendship. But he had to shut that voice down and focus on how that case would do him good.

 

Usually, he was the one who had to break the news for the people who had won a makeover. Their friends never told them so, and Draco was left with either overly-excited clients or ones that didn’t want to do it. In this case, he could tell Potter was going to fight him.

 

The only thing he had to do, was see to it that Potter agreed with working together. He didn’t seem like someone who was about to get up from that bench and change his life, but Draco had to find a way to make him do it. This was his chance and he couldn’t waste it like that. 

 

A small smirk formed on his face as he left the shadows and walked towards Potter, thinking that Ginevra Weasley had given him all he needed to succeed and she didn’t even know. 

 

-

 

“I didn’t know you’re a fan of muggle playgrounds”, a deep voice came from behind him and Harry startled, turning around quickly. He knew that tone rang something familiar inside his brain, but he couldn’t connect it to a face until he was staring at it and it all came together. 

 

“Malfoy?”, he asked confused by the blonde’s presence. Draco Malfoy looked like someone coming out of a catalogue, stylish hair, a long grey coat and dark dragon boots to match. He definitely didn’t look like he belonged there at all. 

 

“Ah, nice to see you still have some brain cells left”, the blonde man said and walked around the bench, sitting himself on the free spot next to Harry, as if he had been invited. He let the insult slide, not really interested in picking an old fight and asked “How did you find me?”, because there could be no other reason Malfoy was hanging on a muggle park. 

 

“Surprisingly enough, Ginevra was the one who informed me of your whereabouts”, Malfoy answered smoothly as Harry just sat there, not knowing what was happening. Was he dreaming? 

  
“Ginny? What are you on about?”, he asked without even realising he was speaking up. Instead of answering his question, Malfoy asked another one. “Have you ever heard of the Fabulous Dragon?”.

 

It made no sense to him and it was the sort of thing he could be imagining if he was high, but he sure wasn’t. “Fabulous what?”, his frown deepened. 

 

“Fabulous Dragon. And apparently you haven’t”, Malfoy pursed his lips as if disappointed with something. “Fabulous Dragon is how I call myself, or better, my business. Wizards reach to me asking for help with their loved ones and you have been nominated by your girlfriend”, he announced with a smile that was quite frankly bordering scary. 

 

“Is this a joke? Is it a prank?”, Harry asked slowly after just sitting there and staring for a moment. Malfoy sighed and shook his head “No. Unfortunately for the both of us, this isn’t a joke. Look, Ginevra wrote to me and asked me to come help you. You were chosen, so congratulations Chosen One. Now you get a makeover from me and I’ll redo your bedroom, do you have any questions for me?”, he said. 

 

Harry gaped. “What the fuck?”, he let out louder than he should and looked around apologetically at the kids who were playing only a few feet away. 

 

Pinching his nose, Malfoy elaborated further. “Ginevra has told me you haven’t been leaving your house much, you stay on the couch the whole day and you have only been wearing these ridiculous gym clothes. Are you even working out, Potter? What’s the point of wearing these if you’re not-”, he cut himself off and took a deep breath before continuing more calmly. “This is my job, Potter. I help people pick up their lives again by changing how they look on the outside and giving them a better environment to live at. You’ve turned into a mess and she wants me to fix you so you can go on making babies and getting married, is it clearer now?”. 

 

Coming to think of it, Harry did hear about the Fabulous Dragon before. Ginny had told him about this guy who gave other people makeovers and he hadn’t paid close attention to it. They all sounded like losers to him if he were honest, and the tv-show he had been watching was definitely more interesting than hearing about it. He was livid that she would nominate him for such thing and the worst of all, it was Draco Malfoy of all people, who wanted to ‘fix him’.

 

“This is bullshit”, he said, practically whispering the bad word. He got up, feeling restless, and looked down at Malfoy’ grey eyes. “It must be some sort of mistake. In any case, I’m not doing this with you. No” - “Potter, be reasonable”, Malfoy said and stood up as well, their eyes almost on same level except the blonde was a bit taller than him. 

 

“You’re a shit show. I can fix you. It won’t be so hard and I’ll be out of your life in a week”, he said, only adding up to Harry’s anger and embarrassment. “No fucking way”, he said “You want to  _ fix _ me? That’s rich coming from you”, his eyes deliberately dropping to Malfoy’s hidden forearm, where he knew there was still the Dark Mark.

 

The look on Malfoy’s face was stung but Harry couldn’t care less when he had made the man finally shut up. “Teddy? We’re leaving”, he called out to his godson and stepped around Malfoy, not telling him another word.

 

-

 

In retrospect, he could have definitely handled the meeting better. Perhaps if he hadn’t called Potter a ‘shit show’ or told him he needed fixing, but he truly couldn’t contain himself from being nasty around the other man. Potter brought back the worst traits of his personalities, the ones he had been trying to get rid of.

 

He couldn’t tell where exactly he had been wrong, it could have really just been him. He and Potter had too much history between them and it should have been more than obvious to Draco that the other one wouldn’t see past that and let him do his job.

 

It was more than disappointing to lose such opportunity.

 

-

 

“What the fuck were you thinking?”, Harry shouted as he paced the length of his living room, hands waving around frantically and anger boiling hot underneath his skin. 

 

Ginny sighed but didn’t have the grace to even try looking regretful or guilty. “I just wanted to help! Harry, this is the most active I’ve seen you in weeks! You’re barely doing anything with your time, we don’t even-”, she cut herself off and shook her head.

 

The argument had been going on for almost an hour and they were not reaching an end, which was concerning and annoying. He was mad his girlfriend had gone behind his back and sent a letter to some makeover guy who happened to be Malfoy. She gave away his location which could have been disastrous and she humiliated him. It didn’t even matter it was Malfoy at the end, because he would have been embarrassed no matter what. 

 

“We don’t even what?”, he asked, knowing he would most likely regret prodding. “We don’t even fuck anymore!”, she shouted, frustration obvious in her tone of voice and movements. He was taken back by the affirmation and shook his head.

 

“That isn’t true, we just did the other day”, he answered, shoving his hands on his pockets and trying hard to remember  _ when _ the other day had been. “Last time was three months ago, Harry! You sleep on the couch every night! You don’t have a purpose in life anymore and this guy has been changing things around for all sorts of wizards! A change on the outside can really help with the inside too so I thought maybe he could help. Please, give it a try. For me”, she asked.

 

“Ginny, you don’t understand-”, he tried explaining that while he would do anything for her, he couldn’t work together with Malfoy and let him dictate what Harry should do with his looks and life. The second he told her it was Malfoy, he knew she would back out. But before he could finish explaining, she cut him off.

 

“This is it, Harry. You either try this for me or we’re over. I’m done”, she said in a cold tone of voice.

 

-

 

_ Malfoy, _

 

_ Upon further consideration I’ve decided to take you up on the offer. When can I meet you at your office? _

 

_ Harry Potter _

 

_ - _

 

_ Mr. Potter, _

 

_ I am glad to see you’ve listened to reason. First of all, I’d like to apologise if I have offended you in any way during our meeting. _

_ Second, we can arrange an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, if that is good for you. As to where, I’d like it to be at your home where I can get better perspective. _

 

_ Fabulous Dragon _

 

_ - _

 

_ Malfoy, _

 

_ No way. You’re not entering my flat. Choose somewhere else. _

 

_ Harry Potter _

 

_ - _

 

_ Mr. Potter, _

 

_ I am sorry to say I cannot work with you if you don’t comply to what I’m asking of you. _

_ It was nice while it lasted. Thank you for contacting me. _

 

_ Fabulous Dragon _

 

_ - _

 

_ Malfoy, _

 

_ Fine. I wrote my address on the back of the letter and the same will burn itself after you’ve read it. I’ll be waiting for you at 3pm. _

 

_ Harry Potter _

 

_ - _

 

The sharp knock on his door made Harry startle and his palms sweat. He hadn’t had any visitors over that weren’t Ron and Hermione in a long time. Whenever Ginny wanted to bring a friend, he’d shut the idea down as quick as it had appeared. 

 

It made him anxious to open his home to Malfoy of all other people and he feared many things about the encounter. The flat he lived at was a safe space he had created for himself and he could barely bear the thought of it being disturbed.

 

But he was doing this for a reason and he had to remind himself he would lose Ginny in case he didn’t try. On the back of his head he wondered if it would be too bad of a thing, but he ignored that and got up from the couch, walking towards the door.

 

Malfoy was still looking like something out of a catalogue, sharp and handsome while still casual and relaxed. He was wearing shorts, which was very surprising, and a pink shirt to match with it. It was a great look on him but Harry was immediately scared the blonde would make him dress the same way.

 

Clearing his throat, Malfoy lifted his nose in the air and asked “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”, all pleasantries aside. It was just as well for Harry, who couldn’t care less. He stepped away and opened the door wider, catching a whiff of Malfoy’s manly cologne as he walked by.

 

“Well, this is…”, Malfoy trailed off and looked constipated for a moment. Relaxing his features, he completed “charming. Is this the couch you spend your days sitting at?”, and pointed towards the furniture.

 

“Uh… yes”, Harry answered and watched as the blonde head nodded. “Interesting. Well, this is definitely not how I’d decorate this place but it is at least clean. Am I to assume you and your girlfriend live together?” - “Yes”, he said a bit dumbly but not knowing how to react on such situation.

 

“Alright”, Malfoy said and clapped his hands together “take me to the bedroom”. 

“This way”, he pointed awkwardly and led the other man there. The room was clean just like the rest of the house, but that was the only good thing about it. It had nothing to do with Harry’s taste, the bed cover being a pink one that Mrs. Weasley had knitted for Ginny and gifted her with, a few years back.

 

“Ah… I see why you prefer sleeping on the couch”, Malfoy drawled and stepped inside, looking around critically and putting Harry on edge. He didn’t like the scrutiny of his belongings and he certainly didn’t approve of Malfoy opening his wardrobe and starting to throw clothes over his shoulder, creating a mess.

 

“What the hell?”, Harry asked, stepping closer and crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

 

The blonde man didn’t turn towards him but he answered in clear tone “No worries, Potter. All of this will be vanished away, you won’t be wearing these clothes ever again”, he announced as Harry’s eyes went round and his mouth fell open. The nerve of him!

 

“Malfoy, slow down, can you just stop for a second?”, he asked more seriously and watched as the other one complied, turning around with a raised eyebrow and defiant eyes. Harry sighed and walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge and asking “Can you just explain to me again what is it that we’re doing here? What exactly is your job?”.

 

Malfoy took a deep breath and answered “I’m spending a week with you, during which I will help you get a new wardrobe that is more  _ you _ rather than what you’ve been wearing. I’ll also decorate this room since your girlfriend has requested it”, in a simple way, finally.

 

“That’s.. it?”, Harry asked, frowning. Malfoy seemed to take it in a bad way and his jaw tightened. “Yes, Potter. That’s it. That’s my job, do you have anything against it?”, he asked in a venomous tone. Harry quickly shook his head and raised his hands to try and calm the other one down.

 

“I’ve got nothing against it, you just made it sound different last time we talked, that’s all. I thought you wanted to change my life or make me get a job, some bulshit like that” - “I’m not doing that. If it happens, it will come from you after the duration of our time together”, Malfoy told him and turned around again, going through Harry’s clothes.

 

-

 

It had been almost like battling, stopping Malfoy from throwing away his favorite items of clothes. He had wanted to get rid of Sirius’ leather jacket because it was too worn out and even the sweaters that Mrs. Weasley had knit for him. “If it’s been sitting on your closet for over an year without being worn, it has to go!”, Malfoy had said stubbornly “It doesn’t even fit you anymore, Potter, you’re no longer a scrawny kid if you hadn’t noticed”. 

 

“This has sentimental value, Malfoy! Of course I’m not wearing it, I got it when I was eleven years old! I just want to keep it” - “Why would a piece of clothing mean this much? She can knit you a new one”, he had said, cocking his head to the side and silently challenging Harry to discuss. 

 

“It’s the first Christmas present I ever got”, he said in a low tone and got to keep at least that one and the jacket at the end. 

 

-

 

“Don’t!”, he yelled when he saw Malfoy picking his wand up. “I’m not going to hex you, Potter. Do you think I’m stupid?”, the other one asked, getting obviously annoyed.

 

“It’s not that. Just… don’t vanish the clothes, ok? We’ll take them to charity”, he clarified, knowing they could serve a better purpose for those who needed them. 

 

-

 

All in all, it had been quite a good day, Draco mused. He and Potter had not hexed each other to death even if he considered it more than once. 

 

The other man had interfered way too much with Draco’s methods but for the life of him, he couldn’t say no to Potter when he was throwing sad stories just to keep an item of clothing. It was pathetic. And perhaps just a little heart breaking.

 

At the end, he had left Potter with a few clothes he could wear throughout the week but that also needed to go afterwards. The others had been packed away and the two of them would take them to charity the next day before they set out to find new ones for the man. 

 

When asked about it, Draco told the other one he truly believed a makeover could go a long way to turning somebody’s life around. The first client he had ever had was himself, so he spoke out of experience. It was quite surprising, how had spoken freely to Potter about it and had not been made fun of or diminished. The other man didn’t seem to agree with it quite yet, but he showed some respect, which was more than Draco had gotten from anyone in years.

 

He hadn’t spent that much time in Potter’s presence ever since Hogwarts and it stirred some memories for him. He soaked in them as he took a bath, remembering the fights, words and looks they had shared throughout the years. 

 

It caused such an impression on him that he had a dream he hadn’t had since his younger days. One in which Potter wasn’t as straight as he seemed to be and Draco was the one he was set on having. He knew back then and even now, that those dreams were inappropriate and he rather hoped they wouldn’t keep coming. 

 

Being in love with Potter had been hard enough during Hogwarts, he didn’t need a repeat of that. 

 

-

 

When inquired by Ginny, Harry didn’t reveal the Fabulous Dragon’s identity. He told her it was supposed to be a secret and if the man wanted it to be public, he would do it himself. 

 

His girlfriend was a bit put off by it, but she seemed thankful enough that Harry was trying this for her. He had a nagging feeling on the back of his mind that she might have been right by pushing him to do it; he hadn’t felt this alive in a while and that was only after one afternoon of banter with Malfoy.

 

Maybe the bastard was just as good on his job as he had made it sound. Maybe he was already working on Harry without him even noticing. It didn’t seem likely, but in any case, he felt young again. At least he did, until Ginny tried to bring him to bed. 

 

For some reason he was not in the mood for it and having to tell her so put them both in a bad mood. She retired to their room while Harry lied down on the couch and turned the television on. 

 

His dreams were colorful and filled with Malfoy’s presence. Even when he couldn’t see the blonde, he knew he was there somewhere.

 

He really ought to stop watching so much television before falling asleep.

 

-

 

“We have to find clothes that are  _ you.  _ So far I’ve seen you in baggy hand-me-downs, sweaters from Mrs. Weasley and gym clothes. Nothing about those said  _ I’m Harry _ , and this is what we’ve got to look for”, Malfoy said as he walked through rows and rows of muggle clothes. 

  
He was already impressed to see that Malfoy was actually planning on giving him clothes that he would like and he wasn’t giving Harry none of that ‘ _ you’re Harry Potter and you need to look good’,  _ bulshit. 

 

Harry looked around clueless, not really knowing how to help. Sometimes he saw things he would like to wear, but he was sure none of it would look nice on him. He lacked style more than anything and he couldn’t put two pieces together and make them match, which was why he had started wearing those gym clothes that were both practical and comfortable. 

  
“I don’t really know who Harry is when it comes to clothes”, he said honestly and Malfoy didn’t waver on his peruse of the items. On the back of the store, there was a wizard section that they would also have to go through, which didn’t sound so exciting. He wasn’t one for shopping. 

 

“Well, lucky you for having me”, Malfoy said and started babbling away. “Your style is simple. You don’t like anything that calls much attention to you because you’re not a person who wants to stand out. You don’t want anything that takes too much time or work, but you also want to look presentable and elegant. You’re a minimalist. Less is more and all of that. Of course I’d like to see you with more elaborate clothes but I’ll help you build that up”, he said as he picked some shirts and pants, carrying them all on what looked like strong, defined arms.

 

Harry was speechless after that small monologue, wondering how Malfoy knew that about him. He guessed it wasn’t difficult though, considering how they had watched each other for years and probably knew a lot on their subconscious. If Harry was ever to buy clothes for Malfoy, he would get him fancy coats and things that looked expensive and elegant, just like the blonde was. Something pretty, eye catching. 

 

They walked for what seemed like forever, and at some point, Harry took the clothes from Malfoy who had made it clear he was no gentleman and should have offered to carry them earlier. There were too many items there and he was sure it would take him even longer to try it all.

 

“Okay, I think we’re good here”, Malfoy announced after a while longer and guided him to the changing room. 

 

-

 

The first outfit was just a light jeans with a button-down white shirt. On top of it, Malfoy put on a leather jacket and then pushed Harry to stand in front of a mirror. 

 

He looked dashing from head to toe, he had to admit. His messy hair was tied on a bun to keep it away for a while, and the clothes made him look casual but yet fancy. They fit him to perfection after Malfoy did some adjustments and then explained to him every little thought behind the outfit. 

 

He said the button down made him look more classy even if he didn’t put much effort into it. It was something that could be worn at work, but after putting the jacket on, could also be worn for a night out on a club.

 

Afterwards, he asked “How do you feel about what you’re wearing?”, and Harry took a moment to think of his answer and look himself in the mirror for a little longer. Truth be told, he felt good. The clothes gave his body shape even if he had grown a bit soft after the lazy years, it made him look sharp and ready for anything or any place he had to face. He felt confident, which he hadn’t felt in a while, and it made him want to go out and be around people again, just to show off. 

 

“Good”, he said in a low tone, his eyes giving away what he was thinking. When he met Malfoy’s through the mirror, they were understanding. His mouth bore a smile that was bright and he said “You look hot, Potter. If you tell anyone I said that, I’ll deny it”, before turning around and preparing the next outfit.

 

-

 

It took the entire bloody day to build him a new wardrobe. Malfoy was a crazy man for wanting to do it all in one day, but he actually succeeded in it, creating many looks for Harry to take home. He had five jeans, which was definitely new for him, many well fitting t-shirts, button downs and sweaters, a suit and a few wizard robes for when he had to attend balls and such. 

 

He didn’t think he’d ever say that, but he had an extremely fun day with Draco Malfoy. And he was looking more than forward to wearing those clothes. 

 

The most different item on his bags, was some sort of a handkerchief that he was supposed to wear wrapped around his neck, on a loose knot on top of his shirt. Malfoy had approached him with the item and said “Now, this is not for everyone but I’d like you to try it. We’re building your style here and I think it’s nice to add some elements of personality. Personally I think this is a nice, simple touch that could change your entire outfit”. 

 

Harry had tried it without question. He thought it was quite the feminine touch and even though he liked it a lot, he was going to have to say no, wondering what people would think when they saw him wearing it. 

 

When he looked up to meet Malfoy’s eyes on the mirror, the words got stuck on his throat. 

 

The blonde man was watching him, studying what he was wearing, with some sort of look Harry couldn’t identify. It made his throat dry even if he didn’t know why, and he found himself wanting to wear the item, if it made people look at him like  _ that. _ It was a flattering look and it made Harry a bit warm to be under such intense gaze. He bought the handkerchief on the spot. 

 

All his clothes had been sent home and he walked out of the store happily, with Draco Malfoy by his side. Luckily, no paparazzi had caught up to the fact that Harry Potter was out of his home and he was glad for the bit of privacy he was getting. He also knew the girls on the store had recognised him and soon the calm would be gone.

 

He and Malfoy stopped in front of the store and turned towards each other, both smiling. “Well Potter, I must said this was fun and successful. I didn’t think you’d collaborate so much” - “I promised Ginny I’d try”, he shrugged and watched as Malfoy’s relaxed pose slipped away and he turned a bit more stiff, somewhat rough around the edges.

 

“That’s good”, he said with a nod. “Do you like the clothes?” - “I love them. Honestly, I… I felt confident wearing them and I’m looking forward to getting rid of the ones I’m wearing right now. Thanks Malfoy”, Harry told him truthfully.

 

“I’m glad”, Malfoy smiled and thrust his hand in the air, towards Harry. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”, he asked and Harry shook his hand, agreeing to the time and place.

 

-

 

“What do you think?”, Harry asked, spinning around with his arms spread open so Ginny could see his favorite outfit. He was wearing the first jeans and white shirt, the red handkerchief wrapped around his neck, Sirus’ leather jacket and black dragon boots. He liked mixing the muggle and wizard clothes, the new and old ones, and he hoped he had done it exactly like Draco had taught him. 

 

Ginny’s eyebrows were lifted up and she had a smile on her face. “That… it looks amazing, Harry! I can’t even tell how much I like it, you look.. hot”, she said and got up from their bed, hands wrapping on the jacket and pulling him closer, to peck his lips. 

 

Harry smiled, glad that she had approved, and pulled away to change into his pajamas. “I don’t like this, though”, his girlfriend said and he stopped, to see where she was pointing at. 

 

“The handkerchief?” - “Yeah, it’s a bit… gay”, she said and giggled, as if she had uttered a bad word. Harry frowned and turned around to face himself on the mirror. He didn’t think it looked gay, he thought it was pretty cool and sexy. So what if it looked gay anyways, homosexuals really knew how to dress up well!

 

“It does not”, Harry shook his head and looked at Ginny through the mirror. She stepped closer and said “It really does, honey. Look, I love the outfit, I’m so happy you’re not wearing those horrid gym clothes anymore, but don’t let this guy dictate your style! This… it just doesn’t look like  _ Harry _ to me. It looks like he’s trying to make you just as gay as he is” -” He’s- he’s not gay!”, Harry said, mouth hanging open. 

 

Ginny laughed and told him “I haven’t met him yet, but I can most certainly say he is”, patting him on the shoulder and taking the conversation back. “Anyways, I like this. Just make sure you’re wearing what you want”.

  
Analyzing himself in the mirror, he was quite certain that it was what he wanted and that he looked damn good in it. Maybe that was just not how Ginny wanted him to look like. 

 

-

 

Harry was surprised to find himself in front of a beauty parlor, on his third day with Draco Malfoy. It was a muggle one on top of it all, and he was starting to feel like perhaps he didn’t know the blonde man as much as he thought he did. He had imagined being dragged through Diagon Alley for the entire time, but he was not.

 

He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly reached for his wand, his reflexes still the same. But a second after the hand, the scent that was so Draco came and he immediately relaxed, knowing he was safe. Wow, he had never thought he would feel safe around Malfoy.

 

“Good morning, Potter”, he said cheerfully and when Harry turned around, Malfoy was offering him one of the cup of coffees he was holding. “Morning, Malfoy”, he answered and thanked him for the coffee, letting it warm his fingers as he held the cup.

 

“Today is finally time to tame that beard and hair of yours. You really don’t pull it off as good as you think you do”, Malfoy told him with a smirk, taking the sting out of it but still honest to the core. “Okay”, Harry nodded, knowing the other one was right. He had never really liked the beard or long hair anyways.

 

“Why a muggle place?”, he asked curiously, peeking inside the charming parlor. “Why not? I find it better than doing it magically. Muggles made this a form of art and you can’t reach the perfect haircut with a wand”, he explained, making Harry impressed. “Plus, I’m not really welcome in the wizard world”, the blonde shrugged carelessly and walked into the parlor as Harry followed him closely behind. 

 

Malfoy was pure confidence as he said hello to everyone there and guided Harry to an empty seat. The former slytherin looked good on his clothes, fashionable and sexy, all eyes drawn to him.

 

Harry was not surprise to see some of them staring at Malfoy with really obvious intentions and it made something coil on his chest that he couldn’t figure out. Both men and women eyed the blonde hungrily and it was almost the same look Draco had graced Harry with when he tried the outfits before. Almost. There was still something different to it. 

 

He suddenly remembered what Ginny had said the night before and asked himself if it was a possibility. Was Malfoy gay?

 

“Are you going to sit or just stand there gaping like a fish?”, Malfoy’s words cut through his line of thoughts and Harry offered him a small smile before taking his place.

 

Malfoy stood behind him and let loose Harry’s hair that had been tied on a pony tail. “Now, I really want to cut a lot. I want you to have that short, wavy hair from sixth year again, but styling it differently, upwards rather than down as a fringe. We don’t want to hide that scar anymore, there’s really no reason”, he said, causing Harry to frown slightly.

 

He liked the idea a lot, but it was a little awkward that Malfoy remembered his hair from sixth year. Then again, they had watched each other a lot and he did remember how Draco styled his hair by making it slick towards the side.

 

“Alright, that doesn’t sound bad”, Harry said with a nod, deciding not to be concerned by how they were both weird. “As for your beard, it has to go”, Malfoy told him “it doesn’t look like you take care of it, you let it grew out of convenience and it’s ugly. If you want to rock a beard later on, it’s okay, but take care of it as it grows”, he informed Harry.

 

“All of it has to go? I don’t really dig a smooth face” - “Why not? You had one all through Hogwarts and you looked handsome”, Malfoy asked, hands falling to Harry’s shoulders.

 

At that moment, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore and asked “Are you gay, Malfoy?”, in a way more hostile way than he intended to. A few eyes turned towards them and Malfoy quickly retrieved his hands from Harry’s shoulders, his cheeks turning redder and eyes rounder.

 

Still, he answered proudly “Yes. Is that a problem?”, voice strong. “No! No, not at all! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that, I was just… curious. I’m so sorry”, he said quickly, trying to appease Malfoy and the others that were watching.

 

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”, Malfoy asked as a challenge and Harry shook his head quickly “Not at all! It only makes you even more suited to help me with my looks”, he tried putting as much honesty in it as he could.

 

Malfoy stared at him through the mirror with intensity and after one long moment, he rolled his eyes and said “don’t stereotype me”, reaching towards a drawer next to Harry and pulling a scissor out of it.

 

To his surprise, Malfoy was the one doing the haircut and beard trim. They decided together that he could keep a light scruff rather than having a baby face.

 

-

 

Draco’s heart hammered quickly inside his chest as he removed Potter’s beard and shaped the scruff he was leaving. Having the other one asking so bluntly about his sexuality had been a shock, and he was very surprised Potter hadn’t figured that out yet, since Draco wasn’t trying to hide it anymore and many said it was quite obvious.

 

But Potter had always been an oblivious person so it shouldn’t have been so surprising. It was quite scary though, to reveal his answer as he thought he was making the other one uncomfortable with his comments. He was truly just being himself and working with the knowledge he had built about Potter for years, also not trying to hide he found him good looking.

 

As he started working on Potter’s hair, he grew calmer and confident again, letting conversation flow between them. He answered many questions, some of them quite intimate, and asked a few of his own. 

 

The gap of ten years between them was slowly filling and it started making sense how and why Harry Potter was living so isolated. The other man had obviously been lost after the war, he didn’t find his true calling and he had no perspective of life. As he tried doing what other people thought he should do, he felt more and more cornered, he lost that spark and he didn’t see any excitement in living his life. 

 

Draco was sad to hear about that and he thought it was a shame what the world had reduced Potter in to. 

 

As he worked, he watched the other man smile and talk, his hands moving through the air. It was obvious Potter didn’t want to be living like that, considering how quickly he had warmed up to Draco and the makeover. He just hadn’t found something worth living for and hopefully what they were doing together would make him want to find it.

 

When the hair was done, he plucked around Potter’s eyebrows, telling him he didn’t need to shape it, just cleaning around was enough to show he was a guy who cared and it made him look better.

 

Since he had turned Potter’s back towards the mirror, he was quite excited for the reveal and smiled down at the other man. “You look very attractive, Potter”, he told him honestly, trying to not let it show just how much he believed in that.

 

“Yeah?”, the green-eyed man asked with a stunning look on his face and Draco nodded, trying hard not to melt into a puddle.“Yeah. I would tap that”, he said cheekily and turned the chair around before Potter had the chance to answer.

 

-

 

When Harry arrived home, he was very confident about his new look. He adored his hair and the stubble he kept made him look grown up and hot, so he was sure his girlfriend would like it too, all of that was for her after all.

 

But somehow, Ginny’s reaction wasn’t as good as listening to Malfoy saying he would tap him. It wasn’t as if he had been glad to hear another man saying that, but the way he had looked at Harry while he did so, made it obvious that he was honest and perhaps even attracted to him.

 

It was a weird concept, to be attractive to men. But if he had actually thought about it before, it made sense for a public figure as him to have male fans as well as female and it wasn’t something that bothered him. 

 

While Ginny was honest about liking Harry’s look, he didn’t feel the same satisfaction to having pleased her as he had when Malfoy was clearly pleased. 

 

His girlfriend was very adamant that he stayed in the bedroom that night and he did. They hadn’t had sex in months as she again mentioned, and Harry started to feel like a failure for being reminded of it.

 

He didn’t want to lose his recently gathered confidence and he also wanted to prove there was nothing wrong going on, so they slept together. 

 

The connection wasn’t there as it hadn’t been for a while now. Harry’s mind was completely elsewhere and he found he was thinking of Draco Malfoy the whole time. Nothing sexual, but still about the other man. His hair, his eyes, his hands, his style and poise. After their talk that afternoon, he had seen a whole new, human side of the other one and it was endearing.

 

-

 

“Now, Potter… we’ve figured you out but we need to fix your room”, Malfoy said the next day as they walked through a furniture store. “You need to tell me what you hate about it and what you would like to see there, we need to make that room more attractive to you”, he kept talking. 

 

Harry thought it wasn’t the room’s fault that he didn’t want to sleep there.

 

He and Ginny had moved in together so fast after the war and it had seemed like the right thing to do. Harry hadn’t noticed until the night before that he was not happy with that. 

 

After having sex, he wished he could just go back to the living room so he didn’t have to cuddle with her and such. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it but more that he didn’t want it. It didn’t feel right and if he was honest with himself it had never really felt like it. So it truly wasn’t the room’s fault.

 

But as he went through the store with Malfoy, he warmed up to the idea of decorating the room more to his liking, and he had a lot of fun too. They talked ideas, made fun of each other and argued over their disagreements all the time. Malfoy was attentive to what Harry wanted, he was funny and charming like he had been the whole week and overall very surprising.

 

It was clear that he was a changed man and Harry wanted to get to know him better.

 

“So, Malfoy… when did you know you were gay?”, he asked and cringed internally, thinking he had come across too strongly. But Malfoy didn’t seem at all bothered by it and answered as he chose fluffy pillows for the bed.

 

“Hmm… around fourth year in Hogwarts. Those durmstrang boys were very helpful with the realisation”, the blonde said and Harry’s jaw dropped a bit. “Really? How was that?”, he prodded curiously.

 

“Well, I paid too much attention to them and how they looked like. It seemed like something innocent to me until I had a dream about them in the quidditch locker room”, he answered with a chuckle and locked eyes with Harry. His cheeks were burning hot and he knew it was obvious, but he truly wasn’t bothered by what he was hearing, it all just seemed… interesting.

 

“And then you knew?” - “Pretty much”, Malfoy said and took a step closer, eyes never looking away. “Although… I’d say I had a fair share of dreams about you too. It only made sense with all the staring we did, I should have seen it earlier”, he let out and Harry held his breath.

 

It was as if something had shifted between them. The air seemed charged with electricity and there was an intensity on their staring that could not be put into words. Harry didn’t know what to do with the information Malfoy had given him, but it made him feel hot in a way he didn’t know how to deal with.

 

“What kind of dreams?”, he asked in a low tone, half scared of what he would hear. “Just boy stuff, you know how it is! Bent over the potions desk, blowjobs under the quidditch stands, the standard”, he shrugged.

 

“But… but you hated me”, Harry mumbled, dumbstruck. Malfoy rolled his eyes and finally looked away. “Hate is a strong word, Potter. Anyways, no need to look constipated, I know you don’t swing for my team. Let’s finish this up, shall we?”.

 

-

 

Malfoy’s revelation caused such an impression that Harry had a dream of his own during the night. It wasn’t anything as graphic as the blonde had mentioned, but it was disturbingly more intimate as they kissed in the middle of a furniture store.

 

He woke up sweaty and with a wild heart beat, looking around the room as if expecting to see the blonde standing there. He couldn’t make sense of what had just happened but he had the unsettling feeling that more in his life had to change. 

 

His hair and clothes had been great, he was sure the new room would be a good push too, but he had the feeling that wasn’t the finish line for him. His relationship with Ginny was all wrong and while he had been trying to avoid it for the longest time, he couldn’t anymore.

 

He loved her a lot, but not as a girlfriend. He had never felt the spark with her, she didn’t make him come to life. He cared about her but as a friend, since spending their lives together and having children wasn’t the most appealing anymore.

 

Harry was a different person than he was during Hogwarts and while he hadn’t known what to do after the battle, it had been long ten years and living like that wasn’t cutting it anymore. He had to breakup with Ginny and start looking for something to busy himself with, a job or a hobby.

 

He knew he wouldn’t be able to make those decisions without his recently gained confidence and he was more than thankful for Malfoy’s work. Without Harry even noticing, the other man had gotten under his skin and had changed him. 

 

As for the dream, he was certain there was nothing to it and it was only his brain playing tricks.

 

-

 

“I want to breakup with Ginny”, Potter said as Draco waved his wand around the room, sending all the furniture and objects flying outside of it so they could start painting the walls. It was day five of the makeover and he was quite sad to see it come to an end.

 

“W-What?”, he asked, arms dropping as he turned around to face Potter. The other one had his hands on his pockets and seemed a bit shy to talk about the subject even if he had been the one to bring it up.

 

“Yeah… I know it might be weird to talk to you about it but Ron and Hermione just won’t get it if I go to them. Besides, they’re too close to her and it would be even more weird so…”, he trailed off.

 

Draco cleared his throat and tried sorting out his feelings but it was all a big mess inside of him. On one side, he thought it was a huge failure if Potter broke up with the She-Weasley since she had asked for his help with waking Potter up and saving their relationship.

 

On the other side, the whole thing seemed doomed since the beginning and he was a bit glad Potter was telling him about it. Almost as if they were friends. The eleven-years-old boy inside of him was jumping up and down while fist bumping the air.

 

“It’s okay”, he said casually. “Hm, why do you want to breakup with her?”, he asked, trying to think of how he would react in case this was Pansy talking to him. 

 

“There’s just no chemistry. No passion. Ever since we got involved in Hogwarts it was like everyone was expecting us to be together and marry. After the battle it looked like the right thing to just move in with her but… I got bored. I love her but I’m not  _ in  _ love with her”, he explained.

 

Draco nodded and told him “You don’t have to do anything because people expect you to, Potter. None of us have to anymore. If you feel that way, break it off and go search for what you actually want. Why is it that you’ve been isolating yourself for so long anyways?”, he asked even if he had reached a conclusion on his own. He needed Potter to say it out loud and admit it to himself. 

 

“I just… I never expected to survive, you know? And after it was all said and done, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to be an Auror and fight anymore, I didn’t want to be a teacher and only live my life in Hogwarts, I just had no clue. And going out always resulted on being drowned by fans! I got tired of it and I settled. After a while I saw no reason for changing”, Potter said.

 

“There were no fans attacking you when we went out”, Draco pointed out, being completely moved by Potter’s speech but not wanting to show much of it. To have such a powerful wizard turning complacent like that broke his heart, especially Potter. He was honoured to have been the one to bring him back.

 

“That’s true”, the dark haired wizard nodded and gave him a small smile. 

 

“For what it’s worth”, Draco said and risked reaching out to touch Potter, his hand landing on the other man’s arm “I am glad you made it out alive. Don’t waste your life any longer, Potter”.

 

-

 

Harry had always considered himself straight. There were times when he had looked too long at a man or even wondered about it, but he had never seen himself as anything other than straight. There was no reason to ponder the possibility of being something else anyways when he had been dating Ginny and they were the real deal.

 

But there was something about Draco Malfoy standing in his flat, dressed casual and holding a paintbrush on his hand as he bit on his bottom lip and stared at the walls, that messed Harry’s brain up.

 

He didn’t want to think it, but he knew Malfoy was a damn attractive man and being aware that the other one thought the same about him, made him feel hot in all places. 

 

It didn’t really mean anything but… if he broke up with Ginny, which he was planning on doing, he had a chance to experiment. He could figure out what it meant to him that he sometimes thought about men as often as he thought of women. He didn’t want to see it before, but now it was as clear as day and he couldn’t stop staring at Malfoy.

 

“C’mon, Potter. These walls aren’t going to paint themselves”, he said and Harry shook his head amused before asking “Why aren’t we using magic for this?”, and coming closer to the blonde man, picking a paintbrush from the floor next to him. 

 

“There is a lesson to be learned here, Potter. It’s not like we’re painting the four walls, just this one, the rest we can use a spell”, he said and shrugged at the end. It was actually quite nice how he wanted to do the first wall the muggle way and Harry was all in for the idea. 

 

He had way too much fun while doing it, it didn’t seem like they were doing it very correctly but he couldn’t stop laughing at Malfoy and the paint streak on his face. 

 

“You’ve got something… here-”, Harry told him and took the opportunity to paint the other man’s nose, making him gasp.

 

“Potter- you did not”, Malfoy said in a deathly tone, but his eyes gleamed with mischief.

 

Next thing he knew, they were chasing each other around the room, waving their brushes and laughing even louder. Malfoy smacked a painted hand on Harry’s butt, making a print on the pants he was wearing, and for that, Harry chased him and caught him in the middle, lifting him up from the ground as he ruined the man’s shirt with more paint. 

 

-

 

“This was fun”, Harry said at the end. All the walls were done and the furniture had been moved inside. It was new stuff mixed with some of the old, and Harry already loved it, even if Malfoy said there was still decoration missing and he would tackle that the next day. Their last one together.

 

“Indeed”, Malfoy nodded with a smile, an honest, bright one that was rarely seen on his face. It had been aimed a lot at Harry during those days though, and he found he liked to be the reason for them. “Although you’ve ruined my clothes”, Malfoy completed, turning his nose up a bit. 

 

“I find they look better this way. More fashionable”, Harry grinned as the other one rolled his eyes playfully. 

 

Realising he didn’t want Malfoy to leave wasn’t even weird that time. Harry had questioned that desire the past few days, but then it didn’t seem like something off anymore. It felt like Malfoy should stay at least a little longer, sit down and eat dinner with Harry, watch a movie or something like that. 

 

He didn’t like much the idea of only working with the other man and not having him close as a friend. Because despite all their past and how much they had disliked each other in school, Harry was more than capable to see Malfoy had grown and changed. He even wondered if the other one had always had that in him and if he had missed it all that time.

 

He liked Malfoy quite a lot and he found himself hoping they could be friends after their working together was finished. 

 

“I’m the expert here”, Malfoy told him and cocked his head to the side, his hair falling a bit on his eye. Impulsively, Harry checked the new clock on his bedside table to make sure they had time for dinner together before Ginny arrived, and was glad to see they did. 

 

“If you say so”, he said and then asked “anyways… would you like to stay over for dinner? I’m a good cook and Ginny isn’t supposed to be home for a couple of hours”, anxiety making his heart skip some beats.

 

“Y-Yeah”, Malfoy answered almost as if he was nervous about it too, and Harry opened a big smile. 

 

It was all fine while he tried convincing himself what he wanted from Malfoy was friendship. Because he couldn’t possibly want more, could he?

 

-

 

Draco had never, in a million years, seen himself having dinner with Harry Potter. Especially not on the other man’s kitchen and having him cooking. 

 

Potter was at ease as he walked around the place, he was carefree and light, cracking jokes and smiles that were melting Draco to a puddle, all the while being sexy in an apron and absolutely attractive chopping vegetables. 

 

He even asked Draco for help, letting him stir and chop a few things here and there. 

It was his downfall and Draco knew he couldn’t keep himself from hitting the ground anymore. Being around Potter had always been dangerous for his heart, but he had thought that after all those years he wouldn’t be so affected anymore. He was wrong.

 

Potter was kind, funny, smart, sexy and talented. He had listened to Draco during the week, had asked him questions and gotten to know him further, he had given him the friendship he had always wanted and it only caused him to fall harder and harder every day.

 

Now, being there and watching him cook as if they were on a casual date, it made Draco’s inside liquify and it was hard keeping himself away and not kissing that beautiful man in front of him.

 

While Potter had been okay with Draco’s sexuality, it really didn’t mean he was gay as well. And while he was going to break up with his girlfriend, it also didn’t mean he would ever be available or interested in Draco. It was all quite heartbreaking and he didn’t want to think of it.

 

“Galleon for your thought?”, Potter asked when Draco had been quiet for too long and he snapped his head around to look at the brunette. It was inevitable to let his eyes drop to the other man’s lips for longer than a quick glance, and when he looked up again, he was frightened Potter had seen his slip.

 

“Hm, I… just-”, he tried scrambling for words and said lamely “the food smells good”, knowing he wasn’t convincing and that was definitely not what he had been thinking of. While the food did smell good, Potter smelled so much better it was not even fair.

 

“Are you alright, Malfoy? You seem a bit flustered”, he said and stepped closer, into Draco’s personal space. “I’m fine, Potter. My head was just somewhere else, I apologise”, he tried building a little distance so he wouldn’t do something he would possibly regret.

 

“Really? What were you thinking of?”, Potter pressed, going back to his original question. Draco flattened his lips in a thin line and looked away, not wanting to reveal it. To his surprise, Potter chuckled and said “I’m sorry, it’s not that I mean to pry but.. you just had an interesting look on your face, I’m just curious”, shrugging afterwards. 

 

“An interesting look?”, Draco asked and saw the other one nodding before he fully turned back to him, being faced by intense green eyes. Once again, his gaze dropped to Potter’s mouth and something shifted on the air between them.

Potter’s gaze focused on Draco’s lips for a moment as well and the world seemed like it was turning upside down. None of it could be real, certainly. Potter wouldn’t stare at his lips as if he was about to kiss them, would he?

 

“Did you really have those dreams about me?”, the other one asked, his voice dropping an octave and becoming a bit rough, something that almost caused Draco to whimper out loud. He nodded, speechless, and Potter looked bashful for a second, before saying “I have a confession to make”. 

 

Draco’s curiosity immediately peaked and he raised his eyebrows. “What confession?” - “I might have had one too. A dream. About you. Except… it wasn’t when we were in Hogwarts, it was this week”, he said. 

 

That was the last thing he had expected hearing, but his heart raced inside his chest even before his brain could catch up to anything that was happening. He didn’t even know what Potter meant by that, but his instincts were guiding him and they were rarely wrong. Potter had had a sex dream. About him.

 

“How was it?”, he asked, trying to look less like a scared mouse and more flirtatious. At that moment, he didn’t have a single care in the world. “We were… kissing”, Potter said slowly, Draco’s stomach coiling nervously.

 

“Oh”, he let out and gave a step closer, making their chests almost touch. “Did you like it?”, he asked boldly, needing to know the answer more than anything else. 

 

Potter’s eyes traced his lips once again and Draco licked them unconsciously. The tip of his fingers were tingling and there were butterflies in his stomach. Being watched by Potter like that was most likely the best feeling he had ever had. 

 

“Harry?”, came another voice, interrupting their moment and making them pull away sharply from each other. 

 

Even though he hadn’t heard it in years, he knew it was Ginevra Weasley. 

 

She started talking about how good the food smelled, sounding closer and closer to the kitchen. 

 

His eyes locked with Potter’s, a thousand questions being shared by them, and Draco disappeared on the spot, before she entered the room.

 

-

 

Saying he was confused was an understanding. Harry stood there, looking at the empty spot Draco had left behind and barely listening to what his girlfriend was saying. Had she not arrived, Harry didn’t know what he would have done. Could he really cheat on her like that? And with another man? With Malfoy?

 

When he thought of it without the other man’s magnetic presence, it seemed completely crazy but he knew deep down that was the road he had been going down. It made no sense and all his thoughts were messy inside his head, telling him he wanted to kiss the other man but he was so very wrong to wish it.

 

He had a girlfriend. He was straight. He hated Draco Malfoy. He had always been sure of those things. Except now he wondered if he had even ever hated the former slytherin.

“Harry?”, Ginny called, standing in front of him and snapping her fingers to call his attention. “Are you listening?”, she checked and he nodded, trying to shake himself up and focus. He just couldn’t avoid thinking of Malfoy for longer than a second.

 

“I got off work early today, isn’t that great? I thought I could finally meet him!”, she said, smiling. It was a pretty smile, but it had never made his insides clench like seeing Malfoy smile honestly, such a private thing that it seemed like an award. He felt worthy when the other one smiled at him.

 

“He, hm.. he left. We did some progress on the room and we’re finishing tomorrow”, he explained, still not focusing completely on the conversation. Was that it then? Was he… gay? Bisexual? Was he even into Malfoy or was he just curious? Attracted to him?

 

“Oh”, she deflated a little and said “That sucks. I was looking forward to meeting the guy who’s helping you”, making Harry feel like a total, selfish, ridiculous ass. She loved him so much and he had almost cheated on her, had almost hurt her in an unforgivable way.

 

It only made it clearer to him that he was not in love with Ginny anymore, but it also scared him to the core. All of what was happening plus losing her, losing the safety, was making his head spin with fear and he just needed to hold on to something that he knew. 

 

So he kissed her. And he kept on kissing her, without a word of explanation. 

 

He needed the contact and reassurance that things were going to be okay and it always seemed like that when they were together. 

 

When he was fucking her on the couch, he kept thinking of Malfoy, wondering with awe what it would feel like to be inside the other man, how he would sound underneath him and if he would smile like that before they kissed, moaning into Harry’s mouth and giving himself away. 

 

He wondered how Malfoy would look like, all messed up and shagged and it made him come faster, thinking he would have rather slept with him than with his girlfriend.

 

On the inside, he still wanted to convince himself all he had wanted by inviting Malfoy to stay was friendship. But he couldn’t lie to himself, not after he had let his thoughts go that far.

 

-

 

Guilt ate him alive through dinner and during the night. He hadn’t done anything technically wrong, but he knew he should have ended things rather than sleeping with Ginny while wishing to be with someone else. He had been selfish to do so, but he couldn’t take it back anymore.

 

Truth was, Ginny wasn’t the one for him and perhaps she had never been. But how to breakup with her after what he had just done? Even if she didn’t know, he needed to wait at least a little longer and be respectful.

 

Besides, he needed to work out his feelings. The confusion inside his mind was keeping him awake. The one thought that stood out what that he wanted to kiss Draco Malfoy, the consequences be damned.

 

-

 

Draco was a wreck of nerves when he went to Potter’s on the next day. He didn’t know exactly what had happened on that kitchen, but he had spent the night thinking of it, touching his tingling lips and wondering what it would have felt like. 

 

He had spent many other nights like that during his teenage years, thinking of Potter, of  _ Harry,  _ wishing and chastising himself at the same time. It was all very old to him, except the part where the other man had almost done it for his own free will, had looked like he was interested. 

 

There was a real possibility that Potter had broken up with Ginevra after he had left, and Draco truly didn’t want to build expectations but he did it anyways, hoping like a romantic fool that it was all over between them both and Potter would come running to his arms, would kiss him and hold him like he had always wanted him to.

 

He went through the Floo connection at the time they had previously set and felt strange standing in the other man’s living room, anxiety making his stomach coil. 

 

When Potter entered the room to say hello, Draco felt dizzy and almost happy with the possibilities in front of him. 

 

“Hey”, Potter said a bit awkwardly and lifted his hand to mess up his hair in a nervous habit. 

 

“Potter”, he said with a small smile, not being able to hold it back. He wanted to ask if the other one was single and what had happened between them in the kitchen but he held those questions in and decided it was best to be upfront.

 

“So… yesterday”, he said and took a calming breath before continuing “I don’t know what that was but… I liked it. Do you think it’s something that could happen again?”, honesty dripping from his tone of voice. 

 

He hoped Potter appreciated his effort, seeing that he never said exactly what he thought, always playing games and expecting people to figure him out, to read his mind. 

 

Potter opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, there were footsteps on the corridor and the other one stepped outside, pulling the door half closed to protect Draco from being seen. 

 

He heard the smacking sound of a kiss and then a whispered “Last night was hot. Let’s do it again today, hm? See you later”, from Ginevra who was still clearly there.

Draco’s heart dropped to his feet and clenched painfully. His hand raised to press against his chest and his eyes immediately filled with tears that he didn’t want to let out. 

 

He felt humiliated and foolish for having hoped something good was happening to him, to having believed perhaps Potter would have felt the undeniable pull between them. He had not and Draco had only been ridiculous to have thought it was possible. 

 

He moved as quickly as he could, grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepping into the fireplace. He let the powder go as a tear slipped down and Potter went back inside the room.

“Draco-”, he called and Draco said the address, being taken away by the green flames, wanting to be gone and as far as possible from Potter. 

 

As soon as he fell to his knees on his own living room, he locked the connection and buried his face on his hands. 

 

He had been completely stupid. Potter was never going to abandon his perfect life with his girlfriend, his future of marriage and children to be with him. 

 

All that breakup talk had been a lie, the dream about kissing had been made up, he had only wanted to fuck, hadn’t he? And as soon as Draco left he didn’t lose any time to do it. 

 

It was no wonder, really. To have thought he was worthy of love, desired for who he was and not just a hole to fuck was not right. All those years after the war had taught him that. No one wanted him, he was tainted and would always be, the Dark Mark on his arm was the proof of it and Potter had happily pointed it out when they met on the playground. 

 

The one person he thought was too noble to ever hurt anyone like that had done it, and Draco’s hopes were all destroyed. If Potter saw him that way, why would someone else ever think differently?

 

-

 

Reaching Draco Malfoy proved to be a very difficult thing to do. The other one closed off his floo connection and all the letters Harry tried sending him were coming back unopened. He felt so very bad and guilty for what had happened and he didn’t know how to fix it, especially if the other man didn’t even want to hear him out. 

 

He had known he was fucking up royally with his girlfriend, but he hadn’t realised he was doing the same to Malfoy as well. For the other man to tell him so honestly that he had liked being close to him like they had been must have taken all of his nerves. He had been brave and open, something Harry had failed completely to do.

 

Obviously he had liked it too and he wished he had told Malfoy the same, but he knew that the real problem there was that the blonde one had heard Ginny and must have felt hurt after that, perhaps even a little embarrassed.

 

Harry wanted to tell him there was no reason for that, he wanted to say he was sorry for how it had gone down and that he was actually very interested in a repeat of the kitchen, to even take it further. But Malfoy wasn’t talking to him and he knew his words would mean nothing if he didn’t put his life under control again.

 

-

 

_ Mr. Potter, _

 

_ I believe that on the stage we’ve reached, you’re more than capable of finishing the last touches to your room.  _

_ It has been a pleasure to work with you and I hope you find yourself happy with the result we accomplished. _

_ Naturally, I will not charge for the room decoration. _

_ Thank you for the opportunity and trust.  _

 

_ Fabulous Dragon _

 

_ - _

 

_ Draco, _

 

_ we need to talk, please. _

 

_ Harry _

 

_ - _

 

His last plea once again came back unopened and Harry sighed at how stubborn Draco could be. The man had sent him a letter to announce his work was done three days after he had disappeared, and had yet to show up again. 

 

In the meantime, the breakup with Ginny had been colossal. Harry had never thought he would break anyone’s heart, let alone two in such a short amount of time. She cried and screamed, but none of it cut through him as seeing that lonely tear run down Malfoy’s white cheek. 

 

He knew it was the right choice to do and he could only hope she would see it too with time. 

 

The Weasleys were all in shock and divided. Some didn’t take a side on the breakup and were still treating Harry the same, while Ron and Molly had taken it almost personally and were sulking along with Ginny.

 

Hermione had been over to offer her support and talk to him, promising everyone would come around and would accept his decision since they all wanted him to be happy. She asked what had happened and why he had broken up with Ginny, accepting it when he explained it didn’t seem right anymore and he had only stayed with her in the first place because he thought he had to, because everyone expected him to. 

 

It was good to have her over and he was thankful for their friendship.

 

He regretted wasting so many years of his life, and he couldn’t wait to finally start living it. He hoped Malfoy would give him a chance, but he also wanted to to set things in place and be independent. 

 

Harry didn’t want a formal job and he was inspired by Malfoy to look for more creative, fun options. He wanted to be happy most of all, and he was finally ready to pursue that.

 

He was surprised to realise he had a few dreams left in him to come true and he started planning like crazy. It all seemed so appealing now that his eyes were finally open, but he couldn’t help but think of Malfoy all the way, to imagine him by Harry’s side as he did all of those things.

 

The future was starting to be shaped, but still uncertain. He didn’t know if he and Malfoy were ever going to work, he wasn’t sure they would want the same things and even be compatible like that, but he wanted to try it really bad.

 

He only had to reach him.

 

-

 

The only thing he hadn’t tried after two weeks, was to show up to Malfoy’s house in person. To knock on his door and beg to have a conversation with him. 

 

He had avoided that option because he didn’t want the other one to think he was cornered, but he felt like he had no more choice anymore and he wouldn’t let Malfoy just disappear like that. 

 

He followed the address that was on the letters the other man had sent him, and was surprised to see it was a muggle neighbourhood Malfoy lived at. 

 

It was fancy and posh just like he was and Harry had the urge to roll his eyes at it, but he was too busy feeling nervous for anything else. 

 

Ignoring the elevator, he went up the stairs as quick as he could until he reached the third floor. 

 

His palms were sweaty and he kept fumbling with his clothes as he reached the door, wondering if he had matched them correctly and if Malfoy would like to see him wearing the handkerchief they had bought together. 

 

With a shaky hand, he rang the doorbell and waited. 

 

-

 

Draco immediately frowned when he heard the doorbell. No one ever came to his flat through the door, so he could only conclude it was probably one of his neighbours coming to borrow a cup of something. 

 

He had been in the middle of trying to bake a cake and failing terribly, feeling so confused as to why it seemed so easy on the video he had watched but so very hard when he tried doing it himself. 

 

In any case, it helped him keep his mind busy and stuffing himself in sweets wasn’t bad at all.

 

When he pulled the door open, he threw the rag on his shoulder and felt his heart skip a dangerous beat, clenching inside his chest and literally hurting. 

 

“P-Potter?”, he checked, his mouth dropping a little. 

 

“Hey”, the other one said sheepishly, his hands shoved on the pockets of his snug pants. 

 

He looked really handsome, his hair was pretty and messy as always, his clothes beautiful and fitting him like a glove, his coy expression the cherry of the cake. 

 

“Can I come in?”, he asked, looking over Draco’s shoulder with uncertainty.

 

“If I wanted to see or talk to you, I would have answered your owls”, Draco told him, lifting his chin in the air, trying to protect himself from being vulnerable again.

 

Whatever Potter was doing there, it couldn’t be good and he wasn’t ready to be left a wreck once again. 

 

He had played with fire while working with the other man and hadn’t realised how dangerously close they were becoming until they almost kissed on the kitchen. By then it was too late to fight back and avoid falling for him. It had already happened without Draco noticing. 

 

“I know”, he nodded “and I’m sorry for not respecting that, but I need you to hear me out, okay? Just listen to what I have to say, and if you don’t want to see me again after that, I’m gone”, Potter pressed. 

 

“I don’t want to”, Draco said, knowing that whatever excuse Potter threw at him, he would grab it like a starving child. 

 

“C’mon, Draco, I’m sorry”, he said and continued his speech, not needing to actually be inside the flat to give it to Draco. 

 

“Things got out of my control and you got burned on the process, which I shouldn’t have let happen. After the kitchen, I… I was so confused. I didn’t know what it meant. I wanted to kiss you and if Ginny hadn’t come home, I would have done it without even understanding it. Later, when I was with her, I could only think of you the whole time and it was so clear to me that she wasn’t the one I wanted to be with”, he said nervously, his hands twisting around each other. 

 

When all Draco did was stand there in silence, Potter continued.

 

“Look, you’re not what I was looking for, you know? In fact, I wasn’t even aware I was looking for someone, but you brought me back. After all this time, you are the only one that can still get a reaction from me. You light me up, Malfoy.  _ Draco _ . We have that spark and I can only imagine what it would be like if we were actually together, if you gave me a chance. I’ve never been with a man before, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do or what I’m willing to try but with you I feel like there’s no limit, I want to take risks and chances, I want...everything. I just want you to light me up again, I want you. And I think that you want me too”.

 

Draco’s heart was beating way too fast inside his chest and he had known all along that when Potter started talking he wouldn’t be able to resist it. 

 

But he didn’t know he would feel like his heart was mending back together, that all the pain would fade away just as quickly as it appeared.

 

“Are you and Ginevra…?” - “Over! We’re over”, Harry assured him and Draco nodded, looking down for a moment. He took a deep breath, praying that he wouldn’t regret doing that and then asked “do you want to come in?”.

 

Harry’s smile was breathtaking and he walked inside the flat with renewed confidence. Draco closed to door thinking that if things went wrong, he would hate himself for being right in the first place and not deserving Potter.

 

But while he had the chance, he just needed to know.

 

And it was effortlessly really, to cut Potter mid sentence and kiss him fully on the lips, his arms wrapping around the other man’s neck and eyes dropping closed, lashes fluttering against his cheek. 

 

It was soft and moist, warm and sweet. Potter’s hands found his hips and held on gently as he pressed their bodies together and deepened the kiss, letting their tongues tangle in a hungry dance. 

 

They whimpered into each other’s mouth, the kiss lasting far too long and far too short at the same time. When they pulled apart, they were breathless and wanting more. 

 

“Harry”, he whispered, his voice rough and vulnerable. Would that man fix him up? Would he keep him close and love him most?

 

“Draco”, Harry answered, bumping their noses together and smiling. Yes. Yes he would.

 

“Don’t make me regret this”, Draco told him, closing his eyes and beating himself up for being so weak, for caving in so quickly.

 

“You won’t. I’m all in, okay? I want to figure this out, I want to see what we can be”, Harry told him, letting his mouth trail towards Draco’s cheek afterwards and pressing a kiss there. 

 

He felt himself go pliant but his brain was still fighting. “Why did you take so long to come?”, he asked. 

 

“I needed to put things in order. To understand my own feelings before storming here and messing you up”, he explained.

 

“And you realised you want this?”, Draco checked. 

 

“I realised I want so much for my life. But mostly I want you by my side when I accomplish it all”. 

 

Inside Harry’s arms was probably the best place Draco had ever been and he nodded, focusing on the warmth he was enveloped by. His brain was slowly starting to give up fighting it too, giving itself away.

 

He could try tricking himself all he wanted, but it had always been Potter and it would always be.

 

**THE END**

 


End file.
